Thoughts about church as it is and can be

Yesterday I ran into a friend of mine at a baseball game. I have been praying for him for about seven or eight years. I invited him to church on Sunday and told him I'm doing a message for people who don't yet believe in God , but are spiritually open. Like so many other people, my friend said that he believes in God he's just not too crazy about the church. When I asked why, he said it was mostly the money thing. Even the last time he was in church they were talking about tithing.

I told him the Bible says a lot about money, so it's kind of hard not to talk about it as a pastor. But the Bible says a lot more about money besides giving. God wants us to please Him not just with how and what we give, but how we spend, save, and earn as well.

From there our conversation went to a book I'm reading - Bob Roberts The Multiplying Church. I commented that a lot of people in the church are hungry for change. In Bob's book he tells us that the church in the west may have more to learn from the church in the east, than the other way around. So my buddy asked if he could read the book after I finish.

It'll be interesting to see what happens.

As I was thinking about my conversation with my friend I realized how similar we are. My buddy didn't like the church so he gave up on it - at least for the time being. I didn't like the church, but I was much more arrogant and presumptuous so I became a church-planter. The truth is, we have been deeply dissatisfied with the status quo.

After reading the first couple of chapters of Roberts book I decided to work again on my definition. I am sure that my definition was and still is inadequate. But this is what I'm thinking as of now: "The church - local church - is a group of people who share a common devotion for God, who are committed to following Christ together, and who want to be a powerful force for good and dynamic witnesses for Christ as they live lives led and directed by the Holy Spirit. They are people who believe they are stronger together because of how God is working in and through them. They have a passion for reaching their community and world one person at a time. And they are content with nothing less than changed lives - theirs and others."